I'll admit, I'm surprised at the responses. Is it the new norm to hire professional lifeguards at a private pool party with less than 10 kids? Maybe it's because I grew up in Florida, where pools are a dime a dozen, but that sounds bizarre to me.

I've never heard of this being done for small parties at home either, but I guess more safety is never a bad thing. We usually just check with all the parents to make sure that their kid can swim/tread water and then make sure parents know that they can't leave their kids outside unsupervised. Best to have parents in the pool with the kids too just in case and some floatation devices to grab onto.

I'll admit, I'm surprised at the responses. Is it the new norm to hire professional lifeguards at a private pool party with less than 10 kids? Maybe it's because I grew up in Florida, where pools are a dime a dozen, but that sounds bizarre to me.

I've never heard of this being done for small parties at home either, but I guess more safety is never a bad thing. We usually just check with all the parents to make sure that their kid can swim/tread water and then make sure parents know that they can't leave their kids outside unsupervised. Best to have parents in the pool with the kids too just in case and some floatation devices to grab onto.

And not to put a damper on things, but should you hire a lifeguard, and something happens, my guess would be, you'd still be liable, even with a "real" lifeguard there. So you might want to re-think like you said you and your DH were discussing. It's probably easier to have families over to swim etc. on a one on one basis, rather than a large party, where there could be lots of little kids in and out of hte pool all day.

OP here. We're both lawyers, so pretty familiar with the potential for liability. I make it a habit to ensure that I (or another responsible adult) am in the pool any time one of my kids is swimming, and I generally make the same expectation clear to my friends. That way no one adult gets stuck in the pool with 5 kids.....

I didn't mean for this thread to turn into Pool Safety 101 (although of course I appreciate the suggestions!), so I'm going to try to get it back on track....I'm sending out the invitations today! We're going to invite about 10 couples, and one family with kids the same ages as my sons. In truth, I think my kids (aged 2 and 4) get overwhelmed when ALL of their friends are around anyway.

Party will be from 12-4pm. We'll probably start the grill around 12:30 or so. Loose plan:have lunch, play in the pool, have dessert and wrap it up! So, the menu:

Hot dogsBunsKetchup/mustard/relishChili & slaw (we are in NC after all)Potato chipsBaked beans (I have a recipe for a really yummy baked bean casserole)some kind of salad.... I make a good corn/black bean salad....might be too much on the beans?watermelon

dessert:ice creambanana pudding?

drinks:iced tealemonadewaterlikely a selection of beer/wine

Advice? Any suggestions for a really yummy side salad? I'm trying to keep it rather light -- am not a big fan of mayo-based salads like potato salad, etc. I have a killer recipe for banana pudding that I've been dying to make, but I feel like having that and ice cream is too much -- any thoughts on one or the other?

I'd skip the corn/black bean salad, in fact, I probably wouldn't do any kind of salad. You have slaw to fill that slot. Instead, I'd do a fresh fruit salad or really just have grapes, strawberries, watermelon, etc. (whatever's on sale that week) available for munching. Or, if you really do feel the need for more fresh veggies, I'd just do cut up raw veggies with a ranch dip.

I'm not sure why . . . maybe because it's your first party with these people? Maybe that's a bit weird. But that's just me.

Of course, if anybody offers to bring something, there's absolutely nothing wrong with taking them up on their offer.

I don't think your menu needs to be extensive . . . plenty of hotdogs, chips/dips, beans, probably a potato salad and/or a coleslaw (make sure you have a way to chill these all afternoon) or a fresh-veggie tray . . . add a sliced watermelon with the ice cream and you're good to go.

Great idea on hiring the babysitter for the pool area!

HOWEVER! Does she have any life guarding experience/training? Make sure the parents know that she is not solely responsible for their kids . . . Let the parents know that if their child is in the water, they need to be in attendance as well. (Water safety is extremely scary with little ones.*)

Make sure your babysitter is well supplied with fresh drinking water and that she gets a short break every hour or so.

Also, you might want to have a supply of sunscreen on hand.

*I, too, had to jump into a pool fully clothed while my DDs were being "watched" one-on-one by two teens. The one teen watching DD#2 (3yrs) swam away to grab a ball, leaving DD#2 sitting on the in-water steps. When I looked up DD#2 had her head under water and her arms out, several feet away from the steps. Yes. Probably the scariest moment in my life.

And, yes. I posted that to scare you. It only takes a moment.

I was going to post the same thing. I dont think it is due diligence enough to hire a teen to watch the children in the pool. Ultimately, you are responsible should anything happen. Since you will be busy hosting you may want to hire an official safeguard. Many people don't realize the TRUE signs of someone drowning....certainly not a teenager. http://mariovittone.com/2010/05/154/ read this. It is very eye opening about the myth of how a person looks drowning.

While the pool is a fun thing to have, it is also a liability. With so many people, you havevto ensure your butt is covered. Before any pool parties, you really should consult a lawyer. It is the reality of having a pool.

I'll admit, I'm surprised at the responses. Is it the new norm to hire professional lifeguards at a private pool party with less than 10 kids? Maybe it's because I grew up in Florida, where pools are a dime a dozen, but that sounds bizarre to me.

Considering the number of drownings at parties like this, it is all too common. It Is a huge problem in AZ and im sure in FL too.

Fruit and veggie trays would be simple to pull together -- thanks for the suggestion! I don't know why I didn't think of that. Plus my kids are more likely to eat fruits and veggies separately -- they'll eat avocado all day long, but if I mix it into a green salad? They'll pick around and act as if they've never seen anything like it before!

Chili & slaw - *sigh* - my darling, ever-so-Southern husband introduced me to this culinary tradition. The chili is a basic ground beef-and-sauce, NO BEANS (according to him). Around here you can buy it in cans or fresh at the local grocery. And slaw is regular old mayo-based coleslaw. People put it on hot dogs and burgers.....not mixed together, just as a topping (the way I would use lettuce and tomato). I don't understand why people use meat as a condiment for.....meat, but there you go! I am forever planning cookouts and DH will suddenly remind me, "where's the chili and slaw??"

I think the menu is great with the additon of the fruit salad or tray.

And if you're having chili for the hot dogs, I'd aslo have some shredded cheese available.

I'm from the south too, and didn't realize people actually ate hotdogs that weren't topped with chili and cheese until was around 10 or so. The first time I saw someone eating a hot dog with just mustard and ketchup actually made me a little sad.

Thanks all! These are great suggestions so far -- I like the idea of a lifeguard. It had occurred to me, with toddlers running around. The pool itself has a safety fence (in addition to the fenced backyard), but you can never be too careful! I'm usually pretty vigilant, but will likely be distracted with hosting duties, etc. I'm sure one of our regular babysitters would be interested in a little extra cash....

Unless your babysitter has experience in being a lifeguard, I'd go visit a local community pool and ask there. Or check to see if there's a Junior Lifeguard program with some graduates who would be old enough. You don't want to hear "It sounded like easy money -- I don't really swim that well." An untrained lifeguard can put themselves and the person they're trying to save in great danger.

(It wasn't a worry for us, because our pool was used by my Boy Scout troop for Lifesaving and Swimming merit badge training.)

Edit: D'oh. That's what I get for not reading the whole thread -- other people have explained the issues quite well ahead of me.

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